Tag: Action Ministries

A couple months ago, we talked about our company’s purpose: Be a Fuel for Good, and we’ve been very busy since then, so here’s an update on what we’ve been up to!

Our goal is to give back more than a million dollars by 2020 which we’re doing by giving back 5% of our profits to help children in need. By focusing on nonprofits, startups and sponsorships who share our passion for supporting local families, we believe we can make the biggest impact in our community.

Here are a few examples of the ways we’ve been putting our time, talent and financial contributions into action:

In 2017, Gas South donated more than $411,000 to our community partners.

During December, 38 employees volunteered in the community (out of a total of more than 200).

Gas South supplied heating assistance to more than 86 families in need this winter.

Employees raised more than $700 for the Salvation Army by ringing the Kettle Bells.

In partnership with the Smyrna Police Department, Gas South sent 12 Cobb County kids shopping for Christmas gifts.

Being a fuel for good is about building partnerships large and small. Large partnerships like the Salvation Army, United Way, Junior Achievement, Must Ministries, Action Ministries and Title 1 Schools. And smaller partnerships like Pebbletossers and the Kell Robotics Team.

As Gas South enters its 12th year, everything we’ve done to this point has been about being a fuel for good. It’s part of the DNA of the people who make up this company. And it has the potential to grow.

For instance, Pebbletossers focuses on giving children volunteer opportunities to show them what it means to serve others. This relationship has the potential to become a movement in the sense that we’re not just supporting kids financially, we’re encouraging them to be a part of something bigger—something that will benefit them throughout their lives as well as the community.

It takes an army to make an impact. So when we talk about giving 5% of our profits back to our community, it’s not just a corporate check; it’s a corporate check with an army of volunteers behind it.

I’m incredibly proud of our employees, leadership and partners for working every day to make a difference in people’s lives. We want our customers to know that by being a customer, you’re helping make a difference too.

During the summer, many children go without a nutritious lunch that’s normally provided at school. Can you imagine? Feeling the excitement of summer, but not knowing if you’re going to eat that day? Or, if you’re a parent, you may have to leave your kids at home to go to work and you don’t know if they will eat that day. It’s something that no child or parent should have to worry about.

On July 20th, employees took a break from their normal routine to pack 1,215 lunches for Atlanta students who receive free or reduced lunch during the school year. The Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program is powered by Action Ministries and it ensures that these children are fed during the summer and school breaks. Unlike other similar programs, the organization delivers the lunches to the children in their neighborhoods which removes the possible issue of lack of access to transportation.

For the past five years, Gas South has packed lunches for this standout program and it’s always a great time!

The lunches were delivered to children who live in apartments in the Cascade Corridor, as well as apartments near Greater Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. The lunches included a PB&J sandwich, chips, water, fruit snacks and fruit cups.

Action Ministries is a non-profit organization providing a wide range of services to Georgians who have fallen on hard times. By meeting basic needs of hunger relief, housing and education, Action Ministries removes barriers that prevent thousands of Georgians from breaking the cycle of poverty and realizing their potential.We recently spoke with Rebecca Whicker of Action Ministries to learn a bit more about the organization:

What is your organization’s mission?

Action Ministries mobilizes communities to address the challenges of poverty by focusing on hunger relief, housing and education.

Why is your organization’s mission important?

Georgia has the second largest number of homeless children in the nation, it ranks second highest in the nation in the number of homeless veterans, and it has more than one million children who are food insecure. Last year, Action Ministries was able to serve over 140,000 people with the help of partners and volunteers. We want to break the cycle of poverty and ensure that everyone has the tools they need to reach their full potential.

Is there an upcoming initiative you would like to highlight?

Our Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program is an initiative we prepare for year round. We also have our Feed the Hungry Food Box initiative, and we’ve made it easier to get involved. If any of your readers would like to help feed a hungry family they can text FOODBOX to 41444 and donate from their mobile phone. If your readers would like to keep up with the action and receive periodic updates from Action Ministries, they can text ACTIONHERO to 51555.

How has Gas South’s partnership benefitted your organization?

Gas South has given its time to support our hunger relief efforts through Smart Lunch, Smart Kid and Feed the Hungry. In the summer of 2014, with the financial and volunteer support, we were able to provide over 219,000 lunches to children in need. Gas South’s financial and volunteer support of our Food Box initiative will help us provide more than 400,000 meals to hungry families over the next few years

What have Gas South employees done to help Action Ministries?

Gas South employees participate in lunch-making events throughout the summer, providing meals to children who receive free and reduced-price lunches during the school year but are at risk of going hungry during the summer break. Gas South employees have also helped pack food boxes at our Feed the Hungry warehouse. We love our Gas South volunteers!

Gas South has worked with Action Ministries since 2012, and we’d like to encourage you to get involved with the organization. For more information on how to volunteer, click here or if you would like to donate, click here.

This month, Gas South employees packed nearly 1,000 lunches for Action Ministries’ Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program, which provides summer lunches to children who typically receive free lunch during the school year. Everyone contributed by bringing peanut butter and jelly, while Gas South donated lunch bags and other supplies. Many employees even invited their own kids to help out!

The break room at our company’s headquarters turned into an assembly line of bread, peanut butter, jelly and a stack of potato chips so high our employees had to stand on their toes to reach the top. Kevin Greiner, our CEO, had a spot in the assembly line and proved to be a whiz with the peanut butter and jelly!

This past week, team members at our call center held a similar event to pack more lunches for the program to help reach our goal of feeding 1,000 children in July.

For the second year in a row, Gas South pledged to help Action Ministries’ Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program meet its goal of providing 200,000 lunches to Georgia children who typically receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year. With school out for the summer, many of these kids are at risk of going hungry. Action Ministries and Gas South are working to address this problem and provide kids with the nutrition they need.

Gas South is dedicated to helping the communities we serve through our Gas South Cares program. To learn more about Gas South Cares and our community efforts, click here.

As part of our Gas South Cares program, we are once again partnering with Action Ministries to provide healthy lunches to needy kids this summer. A staggering 700,000 Georgia children are at risk of going hungry this year and we believe it’s our duty to do what we can to assist our neighbors in need.

Action Ministries’ Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program connects local kids who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year with healthy meals and educational enrichment opportunities during the summer months.

This summer, Gas South is volunteering time and resources to help Action Ministries serve as many kids as possible. Gas South has donated $10,000 and 10,000 lunch bags to Smart Lunch, Smart Kid. We kicked off the program on Wednesday with 11Alive and plan to pack 1,000 lunches at our offices next month to contribute to this great cause.

The Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program reaches children in Athens-Clarke, Butts, Carroll, Columbia, DeKalb, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, Hall and Richmond counties. The goal: serving 200,000 lunches over the next few months.